LA LA Land On Thunder Road

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LA LA Land On Thunder Road

LOS ANGELES — After a long day of travel, the KFOR Sports Team finally arrived in LA-LA Land, the crowded capital of crazy – Los Angeles – as the Thunder gets ready to roll against the Lakers Friday at 9:30 p.m. Oklahoma time.

What are my impressions? I’ve never heard so many languages spoken in one place!

Nor have I waited on a tarmac longer (45 minutes) or rental car line (1 hour) at almost 11 p.m. Cali time.

At this rate, I’ll finish this story for you folks, head straight to the Staples Center and get ready for the tip-off to game 3.

As for hoops, the Thunder arrived in first in class charter conditions early Thursday night full of confidence and why not?

After all, these OKC “kids” have yet to lose in the 2012 NBA Playoffs (6-0).

Considering what’s happened to the top seed Chicago Bulls (eliminated) and the 2nd seed Miami Heat (trailing 2-1 in their series with Indiana), that’s a remarkable feat for Team Thunder.

In fact, the best in the West are proving it in a big way so far.

San Antonio is rolling past the “other” LA team, the Clippers, leading Blake Griffin, Chris Paul and Co. 2-0 and, of course, your Thunder has had no trouble with the luckless Lakers in OKC’s 2-0 lead.

What do I expect to happen Friday night?

I fully expect the most rousing Lakers performance so far, but will that be good enough?

Lots of national folks feel like Kobe and Co. gave it their all at “The Peake” the other night and they still lost.

So is there anything left? We’ll find out if playing in front of the Hollywood stars matters to this bewildered and grumpy team, whether they live up to their name the Lakers or take on their other moniker “the Fakers.”

Because if KD, Russ, the Beard and the boys best LA here Friday, this series is OVER!

I would then expect LA to do a complete “give up” in game 4 and the Thunder will bust out the brooms for a second straight round.

OKC will have a light practice at Santa Monica High School Friday and then get ready to shoot for a seventh straight post-season victory.

The last time they played here? Who can forget April 22 and “the elbow” heard ’round the world?

But even when Ron Artest went cuckoo upside James Harden’s head the Thunder led the Lakers by 17 points with 10:50 to play and should’ve won.

That particular day, Kobe and his crew actually cared and earned what some call their best win of the regular season.

Will it happen Friday?

Bob Barry, Jr. Prediction: Lakers 91 Thunder 87

Not that I hope for that to occur, I just think LA will suck it up once in this series, the Thunder will win game 4 out here in LA and then come home to OKC to wrap up the series in game 5 Monday night at 8:30 p.m.

You can watch our coverage from Los Angeles starting on Oklahoma’s News Channel 4 Friday at 4 p.m. and continuing through all of our newscasts leading up to the game.

We’re proud to say we’re the ONLY Oklahoma City TV station staffing the games here in Los Angeles; it’s our commitment to you and we will continue to deliver.